The Rogue
by Juel Jupiter
Summary: I had to write a fable showing an African proverb for class, so I chose to use Tortall a little bit into King Jonathan's reign as a setting. What happens when a rogue knight tests life or death knowledge of the common on nobles?


A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Tortall was under an attack. A savage rogue knight roamed the countryside, rumored to kill anyone who failed to answer a question he asked. The city of Corus was the only city in Tortall not to be struck yet. It was the capital, and the most heavily guarded. The people of Corus were worried but they knew their knights and majesty, King Jonathan III, would provide protection. In mind they had one particular knight for supreme protection. Alanna was her name, and the Tortallans thought she would certainly be able to crush the rogue if he dared show his face in the capital.  
  
On night, after a party in the palace, Alanna, King Jonathan, and George (a most trusted thief) gathered to speak about the situation with the rogue. Alanna had been journeying throughout Tortall in search of the rogue knight. George had accompanied her, they were to be married in a few months. Most of their engagement had been spent in search of the rogue. Even the Bazhir, Tortallan people of the south, had been struck by the rogue, but had no idea of where he went. Alanna and George, as well as King Jonathan, assumed that the rogue knight had the Gift, which meant he was magically gifted in some way. The three gathered around a table in a secluded room to figure out what was to be done with the rogue.  
  
"He must be stopped before he gets here. It's bad enough Kourrem was killed, she was the best shaman The Bloody Hawk ever had. The Bazhir might start to doubt your abilities as Voice of the Tribes, Jonathan," said Alanna.  
  
Jonathan looked anxious for a moment before turning to face Alanna. "I'm sure the Bazhir know I'm doing all I can. Are you sure you found nothing, no trace of the rogue on your trips?"  
  
Alanna and George shook their heads. Jonathan rubbed his chin and sat down on a nearby chair before speaking again.   
  
"There are no records of knights being thrown out of their service since before my father's reign started. There are no records of any pages or squires leaving training since Raoul either. Before that, there was one by the name of Thymin. He was Shang trained for a few years before he came to Corus for training as a knight. He was a squire about to be "ordealled" into knighthood, I believe he was 3 months away from it. I just a first year page then, but I remember him well. Hardly ever does a Shang come into training as a knight. As I recall, one day he disappeared. It was rumored that he attacked several palace officials and was thrown out of Tortall, but no one ever knew the real truth. If the rogue is Thymin, we do have to watch out. He may not have been through the Ordeal, but he was knight material when he was a page, or so everyone said. I believed them, in practice bouts, he was undefeated. He was gifted in Shang fighting as well as with the sword. He was also very intelligent, I shared a class with   
him once," said Jonathan.  
  
George looked surprised and wide-eyed. "Are you telling me the name was Thymin? I remember the lad! He was a trouble-maker, that one. Us thieves were thankful when he left. He was always trying to betray us to my Lord Provost. Smart and skilled he was though. He just almost succeeded several times in betraying a few of my best spies several times. He didn't have any connections with us, either."  
  
They lay thoughtful for a moment before the door to the room slammed open. Sir Myles, a knight, stood in the threshhold, breathing heavily. "Majesty! It's the rogue! He's here and he's holding her Majesty, Thayet hostage! He demands to speak with you and Alanna. George, could you find a place within the castle to spy on them inside the room? They are waiting in the library, I know for certain there are several peep holes there," huffed the nervous knight.  
  
Johnathan, George, and Alanna all ran to where they had to go. George found a good spot with a peep hole into the library and he sat very quiet surveying the room. It was Thymin all right. He had grown strong, it looked like he returned to Shang training. He sat casually on a table with Queen Thayet bound and gagged to a chair next to him. He was rubbing the hilt of a sword that looked well-made.  
  
Suddenly, Jonathan and Alanna burst into the room. Jonathan looked as if he wanted to run to Thayet but Alanna pulled him back. Thayet was unconscious. The rogue looked as if he was about to speak.  
  
"So, you've come. How quaint. I assume you know about my style of murder. Answer my question correctly and you live. Answer wrong, and...well, you die! Isn't that just lovely? You nobles, you're all the same. You think that you're in touch with the common man when you know less than nothing about them. Alanna, you must think I am wrong. After all, you've traveled farther anyone has and met more people than you can count. Yet, I can bet my life that you don't know how we the common people live. Your fiancee, George, he's not common. He's King of Thieves! I won't even start on what you know Jonathan, you've always lived as a noble no matter how you slice it. Now, I have a question for you Alanna, but before I ask there are a few things you both should know. I am Thymin, a Shang warrior and former squire of this wretched land. Remember me, Jonathan? You do not know this, but I am the only son of Duke Roger of Conte," said Thymin as he strolled around the library.   
  
"You lie! My cousin Roger never had a son," screamed Jonathan as he and Alanna remembered with hate the deceased duke.  
  
Thymin laughed heartily. "He did have a son. Me. Not only that, but he wasn't your real cousin. Not my father anyway. My father and I were commoners living on Corus, my mother died giving birth to me. He had the Gift as you know, a tremendous amount. When I was 2, he transformed himself into the real Duke Roger and then located him. After viciously murdering him, my father took his place. It was a brilliant plan and no one ever knew. The real Duke Roger also had the Gift, so it was perfect. It's so fun to take these walks down memory lane. My father forged papers of nobility so I could go train as a knight. Before I was to become a page, he sent me into training with the Shang on the condition that I would leave when I was 10 to become a page. I was about 4 when I entered. Fearing my father's Gift, they agreed to accept me. I worked hard and advanced to levels way beyond my age. I won't tell you why I got thrown out of knighthood training, it's irrelevant. I thought you would find this bit of information on   
your precious Duke Roger interesting. My father made me promise that I would avenge the common people when I got older. We were treated as if we were dust and it burned us. There were so many smart people in our world, but they were treated badly just because they weren't nobles! Just because you have money makes you no better than the next man. All that matters is what you know and how you use what you know. Now for my question. Alanna, if you answer this correctly, I won't kill you or Thayet. However, if you fail, you and the Queen will die. Not too much pressure, eh," said Thymin with a grin.  
  
Alanna glared at Thymin. He just gazed with laughing eyes at her. "Now for my question. Alanna, who was David of Locken Road? You have a choice in your answer since two people's lives are on the line. Was he the jeweler of Crifan Lane or the bartender of the Three Lions? Think carefully, oh, and you may not ask Jonathan for help," stated Thymin with a gleam in his eyes.  
  
Alanna had no idea who David of Locken was. However, she remembered that Roger was once a jeweler. It seemed likely that Thymin would ask a question about his father, to avenge him. She answered with a burning feeling in her throat, "The jeweler, he was the jeweler."  
  
Thymin showed no response in his face. Suddenly he jumped off of the table and slashed Thayet's throat. Before Alanna or Jonathan had any chance to respond he stabbed his dagger into Alanna's heart. As she lay dying, he crouched over her and said, "You should always remember, knowledge is better than riches." He looked up at a grief-stricken Jonathan and said, "I should kill you too, but I won't. Just remember to treat your common people as you would your nobles. That it is all I ask." Without another word, Thymin stabbed himself with the dagger and collapsed.  
  
It took many years for King Jonathan and Tortall to recover from the great loss. The kingdom lay in mourning for much longer than usual. He found out that David of Locken Road was a poor bartender whose business failed miserably. He died of starvation. Jonathan never knew that any people in Corus could die in that way. Even though the rogue knight was vicious and cruel, Jonathan realized he had been forgetting about his people who weren't nobles. For the rest of his long reign, he always tried to treat his common people with as much love and courtesy as he would anyone else.  
  
  
Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce except for Thymin, but some of his past is a little hers.  
  
A/N: I am so sorry for having to kill off Alanna and Thayet. I couldn't think of another way to show my assigned proverb, "Knowledge is better than riches.". If I were writing an actual Song of the Lioness fan fic, trust me, I would keep Alanna and Thayet alive. Damn those homework assignments! 


End file.
